Byron

Byron "Pat" Gallagher, Jr.

Attorney
Phone: (517) 853-1515
vCard

Attorney Pat Gallagher is founder of The Gallagher Law Firm overseeing its day-to-day operations, as well as the long term strategic planning of the firm. He focuses his law practice on the needs of businesses and specializes in a wide variety of transactional matters, litigation and mediation. Mr. Gallagher has litigated cases throughout Michigan before the American Arbitration Association, State and Federal Courts, Michigan Court of Appeals, Michigan Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals.

In addition to practicing law, Mr. Gallagher is a working participant in several significant business ventures involving real estate and banking. He has held a Michigan Real Estate Broker license since 1998. He is the founder of Summit Community Bank in East Lansing that has been merged into Horizon Bancorp, Inc NASDAQ: HBNC.

Gallagher also serves as the Ingham County Public Administrator. He was appointed to this role in 2008 by the Michigan Attorney General’s State Public Administrator to handle decedent (probate) estates when no one else is available or willing to administer them. His authority is defined by Michigan’s State Public Administrator Act MCL 720.201 et seq. His work in this capacity often involves validating questionable wills, identifying heirs, preventing fraudulent claims, ensuring proper distribution of estate assets according to law and direct involvement with the Ingham County probate court and the Attorney General’s Public Administration Division.

Representative Experience

  • Served as a receiver for a variety of business, real estate, and financing disputes.
  • As appointed Ingham County Public Administrator, assisted the county in various probate and guardianship matters.
  • Approved Facilitative Mediator of business, real estate, and probate disputes authorized by more than 32 District, Civil, or Probate courts in Michigan.
  • Appointed by Circuit Courts in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton Counties as a case evaluator.
  • Provided expert witness testimony for business entity formation and legal fee reasonableness issues.
  • Martindale Hubbell AV rating since 2000.
  • Served as a speaker on a variety of topics including incorporation, real estate transfer issues, estate planning techniques, judgment enforcement, title examination, and commercial and real estate loan documents.
  • Successfully defended nightclub business owner in nuisance lawsuit and subsequent appeal. (Capitol Properties Group, LLC v 1247 Ctr St, LLC, 283 Mich App 422; 770 NW2d 105 (2009))

Areas of Practice

Education

  • Washington University School of Law, St. Louis, MS, J.D.
  • Kenyon College, B.A.

Professional Affiliations

State Bar of Michigan

  • Member, Business Law Section
  • Member, Real Property Section
  • Member, Estate Planning Section

Ingham County Bar Association

  • President

Eaton County Bar Association

Eastern and Western Districts Federal Bar Associations

Michigan Creditors Bar Association

Michigan Oil & Gas Association

Michigan Licensed Real Estate Broker

Admissions

  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
  • Michigan